By Joy Onu
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Secretariat has commenced an extensive monitoring of third-term promotion examinations in public schools across the six Area Councils as part of efforts to strengthen quality assurance and improve learning outcomes.
A statement issued on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Education Secretariat, Sarah Odugbo, said the exercise, coordinated by the Education Resource Centre (ERC), is designed to ensure compliance with approved examination procedures while providing students with a conducive environment for their end-of-session assessments.
Speaking during the monitoring exercise, the Director of the Education Resource Centre, Dr. Neemat Daud Abdulrahim, said the exercise was necessary because promotion examinations determine students’ progression to the next academic class and must therefore be conducted in line with established educational standards.
She said the ERC, which develops and coordinates promotion examination questions for public senior secondary schools in the FCT, has a statutory responsibility to ensure that schools adhere to examination guidelines, discourage malpractice and preserve the credibility of the assessment process.
According to Abdulrahim, the monitoring exercise also enables education officials to identify operational challenges, engage directly with principals, teachers and students, and make practical recommendations to improve teaching, learning and school administration.
She urged school administrators to adopt innovative approaches to challenges such as inadequate classroom space and examination seating arrangements, noting that practical measures could enhance discipline, ensure orderly conduct of examinations and reduce opportunities for malpractice.
The ERC director cited Government Science Technical College (GSTC) as an example, commending the school’s principal, Mr. Musa Kuta, for introducing a seating arrangement that places Senior Secondary One (SS1) and Senior Secondary Two (SS2) students in the same examination hall.
She described the initiative as a simple but effective strategy that encourages independent learning, discourages examination malpractice and promotes discipline during examinations.
Abdulrahim also said the FCT Administration, under the leadership of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has continued to prioritise education through the renovation of public schools, improved infrastructure and strengthened quality assurance mechanisms designed to enhance teaching and learning across the territory.
She reaffirmed the Education Resource Centre’s commitment to sustained monitoring and evaluation of school examinations to ensure compliance with educational standards, maintain the credibility of assessment processes and support access to quality, inclusive and conducive education for learners in the FCT.
In his remarks, the Principal of Government Science Technical College, Musa Kuta, commended the ERC monitoring team for its professionalism and consistency in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.
He said public schools across the FCT would continue to collaborate with the Centre to strengthen quality assurance, uphold credible examination processes and improve educational standards across the territory.
